July 13, 2017 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Steve Richardson [email protected] 214-870-6516 2017 BRONKO NAGURSKI TROPHY WATCH LIST UNVEILED DALLAS (FWAA) — The 2017 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List boasts 103 defensive standouts from all 10 Division I FBS conferences, including four returning players from last season’s Football Writers Association of America All-America team. Christian Wilkins, a defensive tackle for defending national champion Clemson, and Florida State defensive back Tavarus McFadden are the only 2016 FWAA first-teamers on the list. Two other 2016 second-teamers – Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver and Virginia linebacker Micah Kiser – are included along with NIU defensive back Shawun Lurry, a 2015 First-Team FWAA All-America player. The Atlantic Coast Conference led all conferences with 20 players on the watch list, followed by the Big Ten (16), SEC (14), Pac-12 (13), Big 12 (11), American Athletic (10), Sun Belt (6), Mountain West (5), Independents (3), Mid-American (3) and Conference USA (2). The list includes 30 defensive backs, 29 linebackers, 25 defensive ends and 19 defensive tackles, all vying for the award representing college football’s best defensive player. Players may be added or removed from the watch list during the course of the season. As in previous seasons, the FWAA will announce a National Defensive Player of the Week each Tuesday throughout the season. If not already on the watch list, each week’s honored player will be added at that time. The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce five finalists for the 2017 Bronko Nagurski Trophy on Thurs., Nov. 16. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner will be chosen from those five finalists. The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the association’s full membership, selects a 26-man All-America Team and eventually the Nagurski Trophy finalists. Committee members, by individual ballot, select the winner they regard as the best defensive player in college football. The annual Bronko Nagurski Trophy Banquet, presented by ACN, will be held on Mon., Dec. 4 at the Charlotte Convention Center. In addition to the 2017 Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner’s announcement, the banquet will also celebrate the recipient of the Bronko Nagurski Legends Award, sponsored by the CTC and Florida East Coast Railway. Notre Dame’s Ross Browner, a member of the FWAA’s 1976 and 1977 All-America Teams, the 1976 Outland Trophy winner and a College Football Hall of Famer, will be honored. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart will be the keynote speaker at the banquet. The FWAA has chosen a National Defensive Player of the Year since 1993. In 1995, the FWAA named the award in honor of the legendary two-way player from the University of Minnesota. Nagurski dominated college football, then became a star for professional football’s Chicago Bears in the 1930s. Bronislaw “Bronko” Nagurski is a charter member of both the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football’s most prestigious awards. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 23 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org to learn more about our story. more/over 2017 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List Page 2 The members of the NCFAA are unveiling their preseason watch lists over a two-week period this month. Sixteen of the association’s 23 awards select a preseason watch list and the NCFAA has spearheaded a coordinated effort to promote each award’s preseason candidates. Following is the complete 2017 preseason watch list calendar: Mon., July 10: Bednarik Award/Maxwell Award Mon., July 17: Butkus Award/Paul Hornung Award Tues., July 11: Mackey Award/Rimington Trophy Tues., July 18: Biletnikoff Award/Wuerffel Trophy Wed., July 12: Lou Groza Award/Ray Guy Award Wed., July 19: Davey O’Brien Award Thurs., July 13: Bronko Nagurski Trophy/Outland Trophy Thurs., July 20: Doak Walker Award Fri., July 14: Jim Thorpe Award Fri., July 21: Walter Camp Award The Football Writers Association of America, founded in 1941, consists of 1,400 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at [email protected]. ABOUT THE CHARLOTTE TOUCHDOWN CLUB AND ITS SPONSORS The Charlotte Touchdown Club is a non-profit organization founded in 1991 for the purpose of promoting high school, collegiate, and professional football in the Charlotte, N.C., region. The club’s activities and services focus community attention on the outstanding citizenship, scholarship, sportsmanship, and leadership of area athletes and coaches. Since 1991, the club has raised more than $2,000,000 to benefit area high school and collegiate athletics. For more information, contact John Rocco (704-347-2918 or [email protected]). The official website of the Charlotte Touchdown Club is touchdownclub.com. ACN, Inc. Founded in 1993, ACN is the world’s largest direct seller of telecommunications, energy and essential services for residential and business customers. ACN provides the services people need and use every day including phone ser- vice, high-speed internet, wireless, television, security and automation, computer support, payment processing and natural gas and electricity. ACN operates in 25 countries with offices located throughout North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific. For more information, visit myacn.com. For information on ACN’s home-based business opportunity, visit acninc.com. Florida East Coast Railway FECR is a regional freight railroad that extends along a 351-mile corridor between Jacksonville, Fla., and Miami, Fla., with exclusive rail access to the Port of Palm Beach, Port Everglades (Ft. Lauderdale) and the Port of Miami. For more information, visit fecrwy.com. Electrolux Electrolux is a global leader in appliances for household and professional use, selling more than 50 million products to customers in more than 150 countries every year. The company focuses on innovations that are thoughtfully designed, based on extensive consumer insight, to meet the real needs of consumers and professionals. Electrolux products include refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, cookers and air-conditioners sold under esteemed brands such as Electrolux, Frigidaire, Kelvinator, AEG, and Eureka. In 2012, Electrolux had sales of $17 billion ($5.1 billion in North America) and 58,000 employees. The Electrolux North American headquarters is located at 10200 David Taylor Drive, Charlotte, NC 28262 in the University Research Park. For more information visit http:// newsroom.electrolux.com/us/. 2017 BRONKO NAGURSKI TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH LIST The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is presented to the National Defensive Player of the Year by the Charlotte Touchdown Club and the Football Writers Association of America. Tackles (19) Malik Reed, Nevada Jahlani Tavai, Hawaii Drew Bailey, Louisville Malcolm Roach, Texas Micah Thomas, Navy Folorunso Fatukasi, UConn Ja’Von Rolland-Jones, Arkansas State Cameron Smith, USC Greg Gaines, Washington Conor Sheehy, Wisconsin Azeem Victor, Washington Will Geary, Kansas State K.J. Smith, Baylor Rasheem Green, USC Josh Sweat, Florida State Backs (30) B.J. Hill, N.C. State Chad Thomas, Miami Jaire Alexander, Louisville Maurice Hurst, Michigan Reggie Walker, Kansas State Dravon Askew-Henry, West Virginia Dexter Lawrence, Clemson JoJo Wicker, Arizona State Marcus Allen, Penn State Lowell Lotulelei, Utah Jabari Zuniga, Florida Quin Blanding, Virginia David Moa, Boise State Blace Brown, Troy Derrick Nnadi, Florida State Linebackers (29) Andre Chachere, San Jose State Kendrick Norton, Miami Alex Aukerman, Army West Point Sean Chandler, Temple Ed Oliver, Houston Genard Avery, Memphis Duke Dawson, Florida Da’Ron Payne, Alabama Jerome Baker, Ohio State D’Cota Dixon, Wisconsin Steven Richardson, Minnesota Eric Boggs, Appalachian State Rashard Fant, Indiana Deadrin Senat, USF Jason Cabinda, Penn State Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama Trent Thompson, Georgia Steve Casali, Massachusetts Chase Hansen, Utah Vita Vea, Washington Jack Cichy, Wisconsin Heath Harding, Miami (Ohio) Christian Wilkins, Clemson Tremaine Edmunds, Virginia Tech Ronnie Harrison, Alabama Emmanuel Ellerbee, Rice Godwin Igwebuike, Northwestern Ends (25) Rashaan Evans, Alabama Derwin James, Florida State Dorance Armstrong Jr., Kansas Ulysees Gilbert III, Akron Shawun Lurry, NIU Nick Bosa, Ohio State Shaquem Griffin, UCF Iman Marshall, USC Bradley Chubb, N.C. State James Hearns, Louisville Tarvarus McFadden, Florida State Aikeem Coleman, Idaho Travain Howard, TCU Quenton Meeks, Stanford Duke Ejiofor, Wake Forest Malik Jefferson, Texas Deatrick Nichols, USF Jaylon Ferguson, Louisiana Tech Josey Jewell, Iowa Taylor Rapp, Washington Marcell Frazier, Missouri Jordan Jones, Kentucky Jeremy Reaves, South Alabama Rashan Gary, Michigan Arden Key, LSU D.J. Reed, Kansas State Marquis Haynes, Ole Miss Micah Kiser, Virginia Jordan Thomas, Oklahoma Sam Hubbard, Ohio State Skai Moore, South Carolina Kevin Toliver, LSU Harold Landry, Boston College Nyles Morgan, Notre Dame Armani Watts, Texas A&M Justin Lawler, SMU Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Oklahoma Jordan Whitehead, Pitt Tyquan Lewis, Ohio State Shaquille Quarterman, Miami Andrew Wingard, Wyoming James Looney, California Auggie Sanchez, USF Jaden Wright, New Mexico State Hercules Mata’afa, Washington State Tegray Scales, Indiana By conference (103): ACC (20), Big Ten (16), SEC (14), Pac-12 (13), Big 12 (11), American Athletic (10), Sun Belt (6), Mountain West (5), Independents (3), Mid- American (3), Conference USA (2)..